


The Ancient Fayth

by Johnlockiana



Category: Final Fantasy X
Genre: Loyalty vs Individualism, Multiple chapters, Mystery, Mysticism, Religion, Rituals, Yevon priests, spirituality
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-10
Updated: 2019-03-24
Packaged: 2019-11-15 05:55:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18067841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Johnlockiana/pseuds/Johnlockiana
Summary: Father Kasca works and lives as a loyal and devoute Yevon priest at Kilika Temple. One day he inherits a book from his old mentor, a book with Yevon teachings he had never heard of before.Father Kasca beccomes interested in these new teachings and goes on a pilgrimage of his own to learn more about The Ancient Fayth. It will give him both new insight and new dilemmas, when the Yevon church doesn't approve of his research.





	1. The Discovery

**Author's Note:**

> This was my very first fanfiction ever written and published, thirteen years ago back at Fanfiction.net. The story is therefore finished a long time ago, thus this will not end up as a WIP. Final Fantasy X was, and still is, my all-time favorite game, and I absolutely love the world and it's lore.
> 
> I make minor edits to spelling and grammar while I read through and post these chapters, otherwise they are as they were written thirteen years ago. I will update with a new chapter once a week.

Kasca sat in his little study inside the Kilika temple, studying the holy texts of Yevon. As a priest of Yevon, much of his time was spent like this. He would study the scrolls, the books, and the comments; everything he could find that was included in the teachings. He took his position as a priest seriously. To him, it was more than a job or just following tradition, it was a true search for divinity, something he was sure he had found underneath the tradition and the dogmas. His praying and studying had made him sure that there were true wisdom to be found in the teachings of Yevon.

He contiuned reading, occasionally writing some notes on his parchment. There was a knock on the door, and Father Brisku entered. With a curtious bow, he said:  
“Good morning, Father Kasca. The ceremony will begin momentarily”. 

Kasca looked up, still holdning his quill. 

“Oh? Thank you, Father Brisku. I will attend shortly”.

After another two minutes with quiet scribbling, he put down his quill and went to join the other priests in the weekly ceremony of the Yevon's Gratitude. His head was shaved as was custom to all priests. He wore the robes of Yevon, white with striped patterns of yellow, green and black. Being in his early thirties, he had been a priest for more than ten years.

\---------------------------

Kasca walked out of the temple and headed towards the beach. He liked to take walks through the forest and down to the shore. It made him feel peaceful and relaxed. Well, except for the fiends, although there weren't that many at the moment. He knew the forest inside out; he had been running and playing here ever since he was a young boy. He was still a young boy when he started running up to the temple as a young apprentice instead of playing among the trees.

He walked the final steps down to the beach. The small bamboo huts stood all around the rim, children were playing down at the shore while their parents were talking and arranging their fishing equipment.

Kasca looked out the sea while the calm breeze made small waves flow gently towards him. He stood there, thinking about Sin. Somewhere, out there, it was. Kasca wondered what Sin was thinking – if such a creature was able to think. He was sure it could, in some odd way or another. When would it appear again? Would the children that ran so innocently around him live to grow old? He had noticed that even though the fiends weren't many, they appeared more frequently now than they used to. This usually meant that Sin was on his way; the fiends was attracted to him.  
One of Kasca's special interest field as a priest was to study how and why the souls of the unsent turned into fiends – and exactly what made their number increase when Sin approached. So far, his results were not impressive, although he had discovered several interesting philosophical aspects that had kept him and his brethren eagerly awake more than one night.

The wind was getting more chilly as the sun was setting, and Kasca turned back home to the temple so he could be there in time for the evening prayer.

The ceremony was over, and Kasca was on his way back to his study when he noticed a young boy in the temple, clearly waiting for him. He walked up to the boy and smiled encouringly.

“Can I help you with something?”, he asked.

The boy handed him a stack of old books. 

“These books used to belong to Father Uska, and his last will was for you to have them. You are Father Kasca, aren't you?”, the boy said, a bit uncertainly. 

“Yes, I am”, Kasca replied in a low voice, accepting the books. He hadn't known that Uska was dead. He thanked the boy and saluted him while muttering, “may Yevon bless you”, before he walked absentmindedly into his study. He thought of his old teacher. Father Uska had been the one that took Kasca in and trained him as a priest of Yevon when Kasca was still a boy. He had been a good teacher, both kind and strict, when he felt it necessary.

Two years ago, Uska had told Kasca that he would set out for his last pilgrimage. Kasca wasn't sure what he meant, since he knew of few other pilgrimages than the one of a summoner. And Uska was a priest. He opened his mouth to ask, but Uska just shook his head. 

“I won’t be able to tell you more right now. But if I succed, you will know. And maybe also if I fail”. With these words he saluted Kasca and left. 

Kasca missed his teacher and mentor, and he was also quite confused concerning his last words. But time went on, and he soon found himself too preoccupied with the teachings to ponder his teacher's departure – until now, when he stood there with the late Uska’s books in his arms. 

Sadness filled his heart when he sat down and leafed through the pages. At first he didn’t really take any notice of the text, he just flipped the pages while his thoughts were elsewhere. But he started to take interest when he couldn't recognize the words. He flipped back and read a chapter, but couldn't recall having read it before. He quickly looked at the front cover of the book. 

__

_“Summoning and praying...”_ was all he could make out in the ancient, almost vanished title. He had never heard of this book before. Curiously he started reading the book from page one. 

First he thought it was just an older book of the summoning of the Fayth, as he recognized some of the procedures and theories, but there were some oddities in the text – things he had never known.

_“The Ancient Fayth is for the true seeker to find, the roots of Summoning lies within the Prayer of Dedication.”_

He stared transfixed at the text in front of him. He had never seen that particular phrase before. “The Prayer of Dedication?” “The Ancient Fayth?” Kasca was nonpuzzled by the words. Sure, there were seperate chapters of the holy texts dedicated to the Fayths, he knew them well, but he had never heard anything about the Anicent Fayth, nor anything about this particular prayer. His heart beat fast with excitment – could this really be an unknown part of the belief? Was this why Father Uska disapperead?

Kasca flipped hurriedly back and forth in the old book, his eyes running speedily over the pages. This whole chapter was new to him; he had no idea! 

The night came and went, with Kasca only leaving the table occaisonally to fetch some bread and tea. Father Brisku knocked on the door a couple of times during the next day, but Kasca just answered that he was deep in prayer and would return from his quarters when he was ready. Father Brisku accepted this instantly, as it was normal for a priest to retire a couple of days for prayer, meditation, and studying. This strenghtened the profound knowledge and understanding the priests had of the teachings of Yevon, and was a normal procedure in the life of the priests.

Three days later, Kasca emerged. He looked pale and tired, but seemed surprisingly eager and awake. He attended the cermon and retreated back to his quarters as soon as he could, without breaking the ceremonial etiquette. For the next days he prayed with more dedication than he had done in a long time. He stood in the midst of the temple, facing the statues of the High Summoners of the past, performing the prayer's salutation – with the hands out to either side, before bringing them in front of the chest – as though holding a sphere – and bowing. He had done this repeatedly while whispering a Yevon-prayer to himself, when he suddenly heard himself chanting,

_“O Ancient Fayth_  
_I pray for Thee_  
_To guide me safe  
_ _Through Thy mystery_

__

_Unveil with Thine wisdom  
the Orb of Insight.” _

Kasca nearly lost his concentration. He abruptedly stopped for a moment, in the middle of a bow. What words were these? He hadn't ... yes, he remembered. They were from the unknown portion of one of Uska's books – a prayer he had read about the Anicent Fayth. He wasn't aware that he had memorized it. Quickly he finished his bow and started praying again – now with the new (or should he say – ancient) wordings.

After the first three recitings, he felt the usual sense of spiritual calm flow over him. But after he had performed this prayer for a while, he sensed something else, something he hadn't felt before. Deep, deep inside of him, he could feel something he could only call a presence – in lack of a better word – that he couldn't recognize as any of the Fayths he had experienced before. 

He took a deep breath, continuing his prayer with a deeper dedication and trying at his best effort to contact the presence he could feel. With reverence and sincerity he repeated the words over and over again. “O Ancient Fayth, I pray for Thee ...” It resonated with the Hymn of the Fayth, he made sure he whispered every word with sincerity, consciusness and meaning. He reached a state of deep contemplation that he had not reached before; his every breath and part of his being was dedicated to the prayer. He meant every word he whispered, and they gave him a more profound meaning for every recitation. He closed his eyes. He could sense the Fayth inside the deepest part of his soul. The sensation grew stronger and clearer for every word he whispered, and soon he could see the Fayth clearly before him in his vision. The Fayth saluted him with the prayer's salutation, but it was more than the usual symbolic gesture, for Kasca could see an actual sphere between the Fayths hands. Kasca saluted back, still whispering the prayer. Without a word, the Fayth gave him the sphere and dissolved before him.

Kasca had a strange sensation that the sphere was inside him in one way or another – that he could access it if only ... he caught a glimpse of a strange, barren land, but as that image vanished, he realized he wouldn't be able to go any further at this time, so he gradually began the process of returning to the mundane world again. He whispered the prayer a couple of more times, now with a thankful tone, before ending with the normal prayer to the Fayth of the Temple. 

Slowly opening his eyes, he had no idea how long he had been standing here praying, but he noticed that the sun was about to set. Quickly, almost in a daze, he returned to his quarters to write everything down while he could still remember every detail. He scribed several pages, intending to add them to the book after he had finished his work with the Anicent Fayth. As he dotted the last period, he sunk onto his bed, falling asleep instantly.


	2. The Revelation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaska studies the texts until he gets a few breakthroughs. He shares them with his priest colleague and decided on his next course of action.

Kasca awoke the next morning by the familiar sounds of the priests starting their morning routines. He didn't get out of bed immediately, instead stared at the ceiling musing over last night’s event. He had connected with the Ancient Fayth. He had also dreamt of the barren land he saw in his vision. The realization that the Fayth actually existed, and that he was able to connect with it, gave him a rush of excitement and motivation anew to work even more with the holy teachings. Something had to be missing, though, since he was not able to summon the Fayth.

He hurried out of bed and started leafing through one of the books again, searching for answers or new clues to the puzzle. He searched, read, and even read again, for several hours, until he no longer could ignore the growls of hunger from his stomach. He stretched and yawned, and as he was tidying his desk, he pondered why he hadn't yet talked to any of the other priests about any of his findings. Consulting one of the elders would be the natural thing to do, after all. But before he had finished shelving the last book, he had come to the conclusion that he would wait until he could summon the Fayth himself. That way, no one could say that he was a fraud or that he had misunderstood the texts. The priests were quite dogmatic, and he knew he would be met with scepticism; no Yevonite would greet such expanded ideas or dimensions with open arms.

As he walked to the cantina, his thoughts were mainly focused on the summoning. How long, if ever, would it take before he would succeed? Something told him that this was not part of the teachings of Yevon - it was something older. What could this Fayth really be? Could it perhaps be dangerous?

Kasca smiled faintly to the other priests while stuffing bread and fruit on to his plate. Maybe he should talk to Maester Mika about this after all? The thoughts swirled around in his already tired head, making him confused. He sat down, started eating, and assured himself that his earlier conclusion was the right one; he would try to summon the Fayth himself first, and learn more about the sphere he had only caught a glimpse of. Besides, he didn't want to disturb a Maester before he had something more specific to tell him.

From then on, he spent a lot of time alone, either studying the strange book or praying in the temple.

\---------------------------

Kasca walked through the forest and headed for the beach again. The past two weeks he had practised his summoning prayer and studied the old books every night. He got to see more of the desert-like landscape in the sphere – which he now understood had been given to him by the Ancient Fayth. It was somewhere inside his soul. He just had to train himself so that he could reach it. He could also feel the presence of the Fayth more clearly than before, and he was sure he'd caught a glimpse of a temple once.

Upon reaching the beach he was met with the familiar atmosphere of the Kilika market. The children had found a blitzball and were trying out techniques they had seen the Kilika Beasts perform. The fishermen had returned from sea and the market was buzzing with life. Kasca walked towards the huts to chat with the villagers. He had been so preoccupied with his discovery, that he had forgotten how relaxing and enjoyable it was to speak with the people of Kilika. He had neglected his duty as the villagers priest lately, which gave him a sting of guilt – although he knew his work could be of utmost importance to the people of Spira.

While he was talking to a young boy, about the latest blitzball match between the Kilika Beasts and the Guado Glories, he overheard a conversation, between a young lady and an elderly woman selling fishing tools, that caught his attention.  
“Yes, I know it's hard to believe”, he heard the woman say. “But the area which is now Bevelle and Calm Lands were once a huge, barren land. It even strechted into a part of the Macalania Woods” 

“Oh, I didn't know.”, the young lady replied surprised. “But Macalania is such a rich and fertile forest, it doesn't look barren at all.” 

“No,” the elderly woman giggled, “but this was a very long time ago. I guess it was even before the Machina War.”

Kasca found himself in a daze. Was this the land he had seen? An ancient part of Spira? Perhaps as ancient as the Fayth itself? 

“... and then Larbeight made a Sphere Shot just seconds before the match was over, making the Beasts win!” he heard the boy telling enthusiastically. Kasca suddenly realized he had missed most of the kid's eager report of the match. He smiled hastily to the boy, mumbling something about, “Yeah, go Beasts!” before he hurried over to the woman selling fishing tools.

“Excuse me”, he said, performing the Yevon salute. “I could not help overhearing your conversation about Bevelle and Calm Lands.” The woman looked up and smiled when she saw who it was. 

“Oh, hello, Father Kasca. That is quite alright. Are you interested in history?” He hesitated only a second. 

“Yes, as a matter of fact, I am. Can you remember where you learned this interesting fact?” 

“Certainly. I learned it from Mr. Maechen.”

Of course! The historian of Spira! He wasn't sure where Maechen was at this moment, but he knew he had to talk to him to learn more about the ancient history of Spira.

\----------------------------------------------

Only the torches lit the temple as Kasca was again praying to the Ancient Fayth. Most of the other priests were done for the evening and had retired to their rooms. He was again in the vision of the sphere, the image of the barren landscape was clearer now than before. He thought he could see someone ... or something? ... standing on the ground. He saw a small outline of a being standing on the land from his vision. The sensation he felt told him that this was the Fayth. Suddenly the Fayth looked him straight in the eyes, and Kasca recognized the familiar sensation of the early stages of a summoning.

Kasca was not sure what ritual or dance one had to perform to summon this Fayth, but as he was pondering this, the Fayth slowly dissolved. He felt its presence vanishing again, sighing with disappointment. He was nevertheless a little surprised that he had been so close to a summoning without seeing any pyreflies, as they normally would appear when an Aeon was approaching; the summoner controlled the pyreflies, and together with the Fayth they materialized the Aeon. Kasca sat down and closed his eyes, contemplating his total experience with the Ancient Fayth, trying to understand why he hadn't succeded tonight.

Twilight had changed to starlight before he slowly opened his eyes. thinking he was beginning to understand the key to summoning the Ancient Fayth. It was not in performing a summoning dance or controlling pyreflies, as one did with the other Aeons. It was all in the mind. The summoner had to visualize the whole process, being in absolute control of his mind, so that he could focus and concentrate totally on the summoning.

Kasca finished his contemplation and returned to his study, his head again filled with thoughts and questions. Why was this Aeon so different? He didn't have any answers at the moment, but he was very intrigued by what he had discovered so far. He wrote his experience down in the book – which had become notably thicker – and went to bed.

The next morning, while Kasca was sitting with the other priests eating breakfast, he asked – rather casually – if any of them had seen Maechen lately. All but one of the priests shook their heads; only father Nitzu seemed to hesitate.

“Let me think,” he said. After a moment, he continued. “Yes, I saw him in Luca. I was there last week for the match between the Kilika Beasts and the Guado Glories. I talked with him for a brief moment, and I believe he mentioned he was heading for Besaid shortly.” Father Nitzu stopped and looked at Kasca. 

“Why do you wonder?”, he asked curiously. 

”Oh, nothing in particular”, Kasca smiled. “I have just recently grown a bit interested in the history of Spira.”

That night Kasca waited until everyone had gone to bed before he walked softly out to the temple hall. He thought he knew what he had to do now. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and started praying to the Ancient Fayth – something he now found to be almost as familiar as praying to the temple fayth. But instead of focusing upon the summoning ritual and dance, as one would do when summoning one of the other Aeons, he did the ceremony mentally by visioning the entire procedure in his head.

He started praying the now familiar prayer of the Ancient Fayth; 

_“O Ancient Fayth, I pray for Thee to guide me safe through Thy mystery, unveil with Thine wisdom, the Orb of Insight.”_ , and repeated this prayer over and over while he performed the Yevon salutation. With a swift sensation of relief and pride he noticed the soul of the Fayth inside him, and he could see the sphere clearly now.

He relaxed completely while still chanting the prayer, letting his mind sink into the landscape of the sphere. Inside, he walked along the barren land until he reached an old and withered temple. His mind entered the temple, it reminded him of the Spira temples, only this one didn't have any statues. It was circular, as he was used to, with an engraved circle on the eastern wall. He performed the prayer inside a couple of times, facing the circle – which he felt had a religious purpose – before he went to the Cloister of Trials. He solved the trials and entered the innermost room, where the statue of the Ancient Fayth stood. In deep reverence, he continued praying, now with a tone of appeal. He could finally sense the pyreflies around him, his mind controlling them and persuading them to form the Aeon. He sensed the power of the Fayth, and it was much stronger than from any of the other Fayths.

Suddenly, the Aeon took physical form, standing in front of him in the temple hall. Kasca looked up at this majestic being, taking a step back in surprise and wonderment. The Aeon looked like nothing he could have ever imagined.

In front of him stood something that at first looked as if it was a towering swirl of pyreflies, but when he focused his eyes and looked closely, the swirl slowly changed into one of the usual Aeons, and then into another. It was as if it was all Aeons and none of them at the same time. To his amazement he noticed a small, golden orb shining in the center of it all. It looked almost like a sphere, only much brighter and more compact.

Kasca stared transfixed at the Aeon for a while, before he managed to greet it with a deep, and most sincere, Yevon salute. Without seeing the slightest change in the apparition of the Aeon, he could sense that it approved of him and accepted his status as a summoner. But before Kasca was able to think or do anything further, the Aeon vanished just as swiftly as it had appeared.

\----------------------------------------------

Kasca knocked on Father Brisku’s door. 

“Please come in,” he heard Brisku say. He entered the door and closed it behind him, before saluting as usual. Father Brisku saluted back and made a gesture for Kasca to sit down.

“You wanted to talk to me about something, Father Kasca?” Brisku asked curiously. 

“Yes.” Kasca replied, taking a seat. “I have something I wish very much to discuss with you.”

He presented father Brisku with the books and notes he was carrying. 

“Have you any knowledge of this?” Kasca asked, and went silent, waiting patiently while father Brisku studied the material slowly and carefully

Twenty minutes later, father Brisku looked up from the books. 

“What is this? Where have you gotten hold of it?” He looked utterly astonished. 

“I had hoped you could somewhat help me,” Kasca replied with the faintest of smiles. Father Brisku didn’t smile back. 

“Where have you gotten hold of it?” he repeated, and Kasca told him all about the boy who had brought the books from Father Uska, that his old teacher sadly had passed away, and how he had studied the Ancient Fayth the past few months.

Father Brisku closed his eyes for a moment and sighed. He opened them again and stared at Kasca. 

“I have never heard of this. I did have the feeling that Father Uska was hiding something, he behaved rather oddly before he left.” He paused. 

“Come to think of it, he acted quite the same as you have done these past few weeks.” He leafed through the nearest book. “Have you tried summoning it?”

Kasca smiled. “Yes, I have. It took me a while to get in contact with this Fayth, since it was so different in nature than the others, but I am now able to summon it.” 

“You are?” Father Brisku looked up excitedly. “Can you show me?”

“I will,” said Kasca confidently, although he did not feel that way inside. He was not at all sure that this was an Aeon that would come automatically when summoned. For some reason he felt that this Fayth had a much clearer mind of his own and would only come if it felt it to be necessary. He just hoped the Fayth would find this event necessary, understanding that he did not mean this as a show-off. Kasca stopped his trail of thought and looked at Brisku again.  
“Maybe we should wait until tonight and go to the Old Chamber? I do not think it would be wise to make this public just yet.” 

“I agree,” Father Brisku said firmly and stood up. “We will meet in the Chamber after the Evening Prayer.”

Kasca saluted Father Brisku with the Yevon prayer and returned to his dormitory.

\----------------------

After the Evening Ceremony was over, Kasca remained in the main hall, talking with the other priests as usual. He tried the best he could not to show how nervous and excited he was. He was finally able to say goodnight and head toward the Chamber.

The Old Chamber was the room where the summoner apprentices would train their summoning skills. When the temple was restored after an attack from Sin, they built a larger room for that purpose. This room was therefore hardly used anymore, and thus a perfect place for this secret session.

Father Brisku was already there when he arrived. Brisku sat on a chair against the far end wall waiting patiently, although Kasca could sense his anticipation. Kasca gave a small nod and smiled shortly before he closed his eyes and began one of the most special and important summonings of his life.

The vision flowed through his mind – the barren, widespread landscape, the walk through the temple, going through the Cloister of Trials, reaching the Chamber of the Fayth, before praying to the Fayth itself.

Father Brisku kept note of the fact that it took quite a while compared to an ordinary summoning, but he saw that Kasca was in deep concentration, so he waited in silence.

Brisku didn't know how much time had passed before he noticed something peculiar in the air. He had expected to see pyreflies gathering and forming the shape of the Aeon, but this was different. Without really being sure exactly how and when the change occurred, he could sense, more than see, the Ancient Fayth's Aeon. At first it was only a sensation in his mind and his body, something he recognized earlier than any other person would, since he as a priest of Yevon was quite familiar with the presence of an Aeon. Although, he had to admit, this was not the same. Of course, every Aeon had an individual presence, but the essence was quite similar – the pyreflies controlled by the Fayth and the summoner. This particular Aeon, however, had a different feel than any of the others he had sensed.

With a shock he realized that the reason this Aeon felt so different, was that it wasn't made of pyreflies at all. It was the essence that the pyreflies were made of! Now he understood why it was called the Ancient Fayth and it's relationship and importance to Yevon. He stood up from his chair and saluted the Ancient Aeon with Yevon's Salute, placing all his respect and adoration into it. The Aeon gave him a short, courteous bow of approval. He could see Kasca’s smile of relief and gratitude, saluting the Aeon in the same manner as he did. It again gave it's approving nod before fading as suddenly as it had appeared.

Brisku sat down, too shocked to speak at first. Kasca saw that Father Brisku needed some time to gather his thoughts, so he sat down on the floor, waiting. His head was also spinning with thoughts. He was so relieved and happy that the Aeon had chosen to come forth once again, even if it wasn't needed to. He was also, he had to admit, feeling proud of his results. As far as he knew, there were few, if any, people in Spira that knew about this.

Kasca watched Father Brisku who had kept his eyes closed. Slowly, the older priest opened them and looked at Kasca. For a moment, neither of them knew what to say. 

"This is astonishing," Father Brisku said at last, raising to his feet, grabbing Kascas arm enthusiastically.

“I never knew something like this existed. I truly believe this could be of great significance to Yevon.” Brisku let go of Kascas arm and began pacing ardently back and forth. 

“What amazes me is that I was left with an impression ...“ He stopped abruptly before finishing the sentence. “…that I believe came from the Aeon itself. I had a distinct feeling that this Fayth might be some of the essence behind certain aspects of the Yevon faith.”

“Those thoughts have been lurking in my mind also,” Kasca replied, “but I never dared to think them through.” He looked inquiringly at Brisku. 

“So, you believe that the Aeon communicated this to you?” 

"Yes, that's what I believe", Father Brisku replied. "It was the feeling I got. Or ... more of a knowledge. I think it wanted me to know, so that I could tell you – or maybe they were just my first thoughts, coming from myself." He sighed thoughtfully. "I will go to my room and think this matter over until tomorrow. Then we will talk again and decide upon the most proper action". He saluted Kasca and left.

\-----------------------------

“What do you intend to do now?” Father Brisku asked, leaning forward in his chair. They were in Kascas room the day after the summoning. Over a simple breakfast – consisting of bread and fruit the apprentices had brought from the market – they were discussing what to do about their newfound knowledge.

“I am going on my own pilgrimage,” Kasca replied with certainty in his voice. For a brief moment, he could see Father Uska standing in the temple entrance, saying almost the exact same words. He looked at Father Brisku, noticing the same recognition in his eyes.

“Not to summon the other Aeons,” he continued, sipping from a cup of hot tea, “but to teach the other temples about the Ancient Aeon. I agree with what you mentioned yesterday, about this Aeon being the basis of the other ones. I believe that somehow, this Aeon is what Yevon based some of his teachings on” – and that made the Aeon being “needed” yesterday after all, he thought to himself. He had been worried for no reason that the Aeon would not appear.

Father Brisku put his hands together and rested his chin on his fingertips, looking earnestly at Kasca. 

“Are you sure you know what the consequences might be if you do this? I am not at all sure that the temples will bid your discoveries welcome. Not to mention the reactions from Bevelle.” Kasca bowed his head respectfully. 

“I know. It will not be an easy journey, but I owe the people of Spira the truth. We both know that Yevon has a certain degree of overweening ambition, and that any changes in the doctrines and teachings will strike them hard.” Father Brisku shook his head slowly. 

“I am afraid they will not accept this.” 

“I know”, Kasca said again. “But I think you agree with me that this is not something we should keep secret.”

Father Brisku stood up. 

“I agree,” he nodded, and shook Kascas hand with both of his. “And I support this pilgrimage, and your courage and dedication. When will you be leaving?” 

“I will leave tomorrow morning. I will pack all my books and notes, so that I can continue to pray and learn on my pilgrimage. And, of course, so that I have something to show to the temples.” 

Father Brisku let go of his hand, saluted Kasca with the Yevon’s salute, and whispered, 

“May Yevon bless you and your pilgrimage,” before he left the room.

The next morning, Kasca stood up before sunrise. He had the night before packed all the personal belongings he would need, so he snuck by the kitchen to take some bread and dried meat for his journey. He then saluted the temple before turning around, walking towards the pier, and the ship traveling to Besaid.


	3. Besaid Temple

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Father Kascka travels to Besaid, sharing the news of the Anicent Fayth to the first temple outside of Kilika.

The village of Besaid was as he remembered it. Small huts appeared on each side of the road, which ended in a great and majestic temple overshadowing the village. He had only been here a few times before, the first time being when he did the priest's pilgrimage about ten years ago. A priest's pilgrimage was required of an apprentice as soon as he had finished his learning time and had become a true priest of Yevon. The purpose of the pilgrimage being to learn about the Aeons and customs of the temples around Spira. Although a priest did not go on a summoning pilgrimage, several of them had chosen to learn how to summon. It would deepen their understanding of the Yevon faith and could also lead to interesting discussions with the summoners that stopped by their temples on their pilgrimages.

He headed for the temple, exchanging a few friendly words with the villagers he met on his way. As he entered, he heard Valefor's Hymn of the Fayth. He smiled and silently recited the Ancient Fayth's prayer to himself. It had given the Hymn – and also the Yevon faith itself – a whole new and exciting meaning to him.

The priests of the Besaid temple – all dressed in the white, yellow and green Yevon robes – gave him a warm welcome. They showed him to their library, where he sat down with the leaders of the temple, drinking tea and exchanging news between the islands. After a while, one of the leading priests – an elderly man with white hair and calm, intelligent eyes – asked him:

“So, what has brought you to us? I sense that you have come here for a reason.” Kasca nodded.

“Yes, I have,” he said. He felt both excited and anxious at the same time as he took a deep breath and begun: 

“I have made a discovery concerning the Yevon faith, something that I and Father Brisku believe to be of such importance to all of Spira, that I have decided to set out on a pilgrimage to share my experience and knowledge with the other temples, and also to discuss what all of this could mean and how best to handle it.”

He could sense the anticipation of the other priests. Most of them looked interested, but some of them looked down right skeptical. He didn't blame them. He would have been skeptical himself towards such a visitor. Besides, he thought to himself, Yevon didn't take lightly to new ideas.

"Very well," the white-haired priest said, his eyes showing nothing of what he might think of this. "What discovery is this?" 

Kasca looked straight back, sensing that it would be most proper to speak directly to him. 

"A summoning," he said, "that has a different nature in both manner and appearance than any other Aeon in Spira."

The priests mumbled skeptically, before the older one silenced them with a wave of his hand. 

"A summoning, you say? What makes you think this is different from the other Aeons? And, not to insult you, Father, I trust you have heard of Baal and Remiem Temple?"

Kasca smiled at the words of the elderly priest. The underlying message was quite clear, although the words were well-mannered and polite.

"Yes, Father, I have heard of Anima, Yojimbo and the Magus Sisters. This is nothing of their kind. I think ..." He drew his breath for a second, praying swiftly for the Ancient Fayth to be with him now. "... that the best way to explain the differences is for me to summon the Aeon for you." 

"Now?" the priest asked. 

"Yes," Kasca replied.

The other priests began mumbling again, but now in a tone of interest and excitement. 

"Very well,” the priest said again. 

"Father Tekla, could you please make sure that we will be left alone for a while?" One of the younger priests – probably an apprentice – stood up, bowed to the elder priest and left the room. When the door closed, everyone turned and looked at Kasca. He couldn't help but feeling more than just a little nervous. If something went wrong now, if he didn't manage to do this correctly, or if the Aeon decided not to be summoned ...

He got up from his chair and walked to the open space of the room. 

"What about your staff?" a priest asked curiously? Kasca gave a tiny smile. 

"That will not be needed," he replied. This answer increased the sense of interest in the room, although he was sure that he saw a smirk or two from around the table.

Kasca closed his eyes, trying to block out all of his worries and mundane thoughts. This was something he had been able to do as a priest for quite a while, so it didn't take him long to get into the feeling of a summoning. It also helped that he had a knowing and experienced audience; they kept silent and let him do his work in peace. He would be given a proper chance to do what he had said he would do. He drew a deep breath and began the prayer of the Ancient Fayth while performing the Yevon salutation. It resonated so clearly with the Hymn of the Fayth that several priests were just about to join in before they with a shock noticed that the words and feel of the prayer were different.

Kasca was in the barren land again. He went into the temple, prayed to the holy orb before he ascended the stairs to the Cloister of Trials. He went through them without too much difficulty before reaching the inner sanctum where the Fayth dwelt. He again started to pray, matching his outer praying with his inner. The swirl of pyreflies arose from the sanctum, as he had seen a couple of times before, and from the silent gasps of the priests, he knew that he had succeeded. Slowly, he opened his eyes and repeated the prayer in a whisper.

The Ancient Fayth was present in the room, and the shapes and sensation of the other Aeons appeared and disappeared in the swirling tower before them. Quickly, and almost simultaneously, all the priests rose up and saluted the Aeon with a deep salutation of reverence. In reply, Kasca felt – as he was sure the priests did too – the acceptance from the Fayth before it disappeared.

The room was silent. Kasca felt a bit dizzy, so he sat down on the nearest chair, thanking the Fayth silently in his mind. He leaned back in his chair, trying to get his breathing back to normal while giving the others time to grasp what they had just witnessed.

The elderly priest spoke first. He had sat himself down on one of the chairs and had been quiet for a while. He turned and looked at Kasca. 

"How did you get in contact with this Aeon? Where did you learn of this?" So Kasca explained everything he knew about Father Uska, the books he had inherited, and the process of learning this summoning. 

"As for what this Aeon really is, I do not know. This is one of the reasons I am sharing this, I hope that we together can discuss these aspects".

The priest nodded, still looking thoughtful. 

"I see. Well, as you can imagine this was quite a shock. I think we all need some time to think this matter over before we can settle upon any conclusion. Do you by any chance have the books with you?" 

"Yes, I do," Kasca replied as he took the books out of his traveling bag and handed them over to him. The priest flipped through them slowly, reading a few passages of Kasca's notes before handing them back. 

"Does Bevelle know about this?" he asked.

"I have not visited them yet," Kasca replied, letting the other priests see through the books. 

"I thought I would visit Bevelle after I had been to Djose and Macalania."

The older man faced him with an inquisitive look in his eyes. 

"You have decided to tell all the temples first? May I ask why? I am sure you know that this probably will not be well received by Bevelle."

Kasca knew what the old priest was insinuating, and he was not sure how straightforward he ought to be, as he didn't know the priests take on things. He quickly decided to weigh his words carefully, being honest without being too telling. 

"I believe this to be of utmost importance of both the Yevon faith and the people of Spira, and I believe I owe to all of you to share this just as much as I have a duty to inform Bevelle. I am not sure how Bevelle will take these news and how and if they will act upon it, so I think people should know either way. That way they can have as profound an understanding of the faith they devote their lives to as possible. If Bevelle thinks this decision is wrong, I will bear any consequences this may lead to."

The priest nodded, looking almost content. 

"I see. You are wise and brave, young priest of Yevon. Can I ask you to stay here over the night, so that we may have your books and notes copied? I will have the sleeping quarters arranged for you, and will make sure you leave tomorrow with a fresh provision of food and drink." 

Kasca saluted the priest with the Yevon prayer. 

"That would be most kind, Father." 

"Not at all, Father Kasca." The priest's smile showed warmth and generosity. 

"This is the least we can do for you. We will study your books ourselves, without taking any action or informing the citizens of Besaid before we have heard more from you or Bevelle."   
Kasca saluted again, understanding to the fullest the meaning of those words.

 

\-----------------------------

 

Kasca woke up the next morning, feeling rested and motivated for his journey. He got out of the bed and washed his face in the basin on the brown counter next to the window. He peeked out of the window at the clear and sunny sky as he wiped his face with the towel. His mood was better than it had been in days.

He discussed the Aeon with the elderly priest over breakfast. They continued the discussion as the priest walked him to the Summoner's Prayer's Post, overlooking the beautiful sea, where they stopped for a while. Kasca had received his books on the way out, and he and the priest kept talking about the content and the possible origin of the books. Soon the sun had crept almost to its highest position on the horizon.

"I really must be going," Kasca said at last. "The boat for Luca will be leaving shortly." 

"Yes, of course," Father Daclen – as Kasca had learned his name was – replied. "You will be looking for old mister Maechen?" 

Kasca nodded, for they had talked about the visions he received from the sphere also. He had mentioned to Father Daclen that Maechen was on his way to Besaid from Luca, in which the old priest replied that Maechen hadn't been to Besaid for several month, giving Kasca a hope that he might still find the old historian in Luca.

Father Daclen saluted him. 

"The best of luck on your pilgrimage, Father Kasca. I hope the Ancient Fayth is well received all over Spira." Kasca saluted back. 

"Thank you, both for the kind and warm welcome I have received here at Besaid, and for the most interesting conversations we have had." They smiled and shook hands, before Kasca walked down to the docks, ready to travel to Luca.


End file.
